Tell me the story of how you, the silver or gold Castaway member snagged a cabana on CC.

[Disney1fan2002]

I will sit and listen to the birds chirping in the meantime.

Final payment for the Oct 29th cruise is Sunday. I will be checking non-stop this weekend for a cancellation. I doubt one will come. You don't become a platinum CC member by cancelling your cruises. Maybe, there is hope that someone booked concierge then discovered they can't afford it.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I managed to get one of the last two family cabanas for our disney magic cruise on 22nd October. As a gold member I was online right at opening time (which was 5am for me!) and within a couple of minutes both had gone. It was my birthday that day, so a nice birthday present!

I wouldn't give up hope though, they are very expensive, so I wouldn't be surprised if there are those that cancel.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

A platinum member of our cruise group clued me in on several cabanas still being available as Silver's checkin day arrived. And it was December...

 

[Ainslee]

My second cruise was in late October on the Fantasy last year and I got one about 3 weeks before the cruise. I had mentioned in our cruise group that I was interested if anyone was going to drop theirs and the next day someone did. It was on Serenity Bay, but it was only my husband and I so it worked out.

I would let your cruise group know you would like one if anyone decides not to keep theirs. Good luck!

 

[lurkergirl]

We literally checked daily for months.

And then, comically, the cruise itself got canceled after we had successfully snagged one.

 

[Starwind]

For our very first DCL cruise I checked each day at least once, and 20 days before the cruise suddenly a cabana was available when I checked. I snagged it immediately.

For our third or fourth cruise the huge size cabana on the family beach was available when I did online checkin when it opened. Too big and too much $ for us so we did not get it, however someone on our social media group for the cruise made an offer to share the family cabana they had reserved, which we did and had a great time and met a great couple.

So, even for a newbie it is possible, if not particularly likely. It really comes down to you happen to be checking at the same time someone is canceling.

SW

 

[gatordoc]

Got one at Serenity on our last cruise by getting on a waitlist at Guest Services when we boarded. They called the day before we arrived at CC to ask if we wanted one that had become available.

 

[michellekcm]

I got one as gold for an April cruise by logging on right at checkin time. There were 3 left and I got one.

We then ended up cancelling it, as the exchange rate made it just too far out of our budget. There was a member of our cruise meet group who had been trying to get one, so we coordinated for me to release it when she was online to see if she could grab it - and she did.

So, if you are in a cruise meet it's worth putting it out there that you want one. Someone may be cancelling and happy to do what we did. It doesn't guarantee, as someone else may be checking at that time too, but it's better odds than not.

 

[swimfin]

I was a first time cruiser and snagged one a month out from our cruise date! I'm sure it was timing! I just happen to check during my lunch and saw it was open. In the end I ended up giving it up and canceling it because I honestly didn't feel the price was worth it for the day, but I posted on this thread five minutes before I canceled so people could grab it and know it was becoming available! For us, a family of three (my husband, myself and at the time our 11-year-old son) we were just fine grabbing chairs underneath the palm trees on the farthest beach that goes right up against the beginning of the cabanas! Good luck! Cheers!

 

[Mr. Johnson]

On one trip that was booked a month or so after the date the cabana's became available, we were able to get one, which I believe someone had just canceled while we were booking the reservation. I don't know how frequent this happens, and I'm sure it's down to pure luck if you find one that was cancelled, but I think you just need to keep checking (multiple times a day if you really want one). We had a cabana reserved for our cruise on 7/25 and cancelled it a few days before the departure date, so hopefully something similar will happen for you.

 

[SeaSpray]

We're Silver and our check-in date for our Oct cruise was this past weekend, Saturday night at midnight. I wasn't looking for a Cabana so I don't know if any were available that night. Two days later someone on our DIS Meets group mentioned that a Serenity Bay Cabana was available, but they were looking for one at the family beach.

So, for the heck of it, I decided to look on the DCL web site to see if the SB Cabana was still available, and it was!! I grabbed it, not knowing for sure whether my husband would be interested in it or not, but when I told him that I booked the cabana he was very happy!

I was one of those people who never thought that the cost of the cabana would be worth it for us, but now we both have health issues that make the cabana extremely worth it so that we can enjoy Castaway Cay fully.

I agree with the advice from the previous posters who said to just keep checking, and then once onboard, put your name on a wait list. I hope you're able to get one!!

 

[tinkerone]

We did a b2b on the Fantasy last October and while doing online check in about six weeks before the cruise I saw each of the two had an open cabana so I booked them both. Not sure why as I think its a waste for us but I did. After thinking about it for a few weeks I posted on our FB meet groups that I was going to release them. Someone from each of the groups got them.
My suggestion is to get onto your group meet and let them know you are looking for one. If someone does decide to cancel they may inform you and you will have a good chance of getting it.
Good luck.

 

[CM Dad]

I was able to get a cabana for my wife and I when I was silver. None were available when our booking window opened, but I kept checking back and eventually one became free.